Fountain



June 3, 1969 J. o. HRUBY, JR 3,447,749

FOUNTAIN Filed Dec. 27, 1966 sheet of 2 r! l 1inl y 'y f /7 r i I @l .I /4 l vi 1i i fig; l 7 f4 l! J 2f l.' Z H l'. *v7-Z;

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FOUNTAIN Filed Dec. 27, 196e Z of 2 Sheet INVENTOR. Mmm/ A/n// Je United States Patent O U.S. Cl. 239-17 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A multiple-tier fountain in which a lower tier of the fountain is defined by water which swirls upwardly along and around a gyratory hollow stem mounted within a body, and in which an upper tier of the fountain is dened by water flowing through the gyratory stern, the stem having opposite open ends. To produce esthetic balance between the upper and lower fountain tiers, and also to regulate to a desired angular velocity the speed at which the fountain pattern appears to rotate, a baflie is provided between the body and the inner walls of a riser pipe to which the fountain Abody is mounted so that the body extends substantially coaxially of the riser within the riser.

This invention relates to ornamental fountains.

My prior Patent 3,081,036 describes a water fountain which produces a particularly beautiful array of separate water droplets, the droplets having the appearance of crystals or prisms in the fountain pattern. Fountains produced in accord with this patent have been found, however, to produce non-uniform droplet patterns. For best effect, particularly at night when the fountain is artificially lighted, it is desired that the fountain pattern be composed of droplets of as uniform size and distribution as possible. Also the presence of fog or mist in the fountain pattern should be avoided as fog or mist can be easily blown by a light wind into areas adjacent the fountain where people may be present, and it detracts from the aesthetic appeal of the fountain.

The present fountain is constructed to provide improved control over the water flowing through it. As a result, the presence of desired relatively large drops of uniform size in the fountain pattern is increased as is the uniformity of distribution of such drops. The efficiency of the fountain is also improved. The present fountain is constructed to minimize, if not altogether eliminate, the presence of fine fog or mist in the water pattern discharged from the fountain. The benefits provided by this invention are most strikingly realized in a two-tier fountain since improved control over the relative heights of the tiers is obtained. The invention also has benefits when used in three-tier fountains.

Generally sepaking, the invention provides an improved water fountain. The fountain includes a body which defines an elongate chamber having an open upper Water discharge end and a lower end. A hollow, open-ended elongate stem is disposed in the chamber and extends through the chamber ends. Means are provided for mounting the stern to the body so that the stem is free to rotate about its elongate axis and to gyrate relative to the body. The chamber has water inlet openings into it, the inlet openings being arranged so that water introduced into the chamber spirals along and about the axis of the chamber to the open end of the chamber. This motion of the water in the chamber induces the stem to rotate and gyrate. The fountain also includes means connected to the body externally of the chamber adjacent the chamber discharge end for coupling the body to the end of a water supply pipe. The body mounting means is arranged so that, when ice the body is connected to the water supply pipe, the lower portion of the body is disposed in substantially coaxial alignment with and within the supply pipe in spaced relation to the walls of the supply pipe. The fountain also includes a water distributor head secured to the stem externally of the chamber adjacent the body discharge opening for receiving and directing water emerging through the chamber discharge opening, the head directing such water outwardly of the stem. In combination with the structure described above, the fountain further includes water flow baffling means carried by the body ad jacent the lower end thereof. The baffling means is arranged for cooperation with a water supply pipe to which the body may be connected for reducing the dynamic head of water flowing past the baffling means relative to the dynamic head of water entering the stem. Provision of the baffling means results in that portion of the fountain discharge pattern formed by water emerging from the body around the stem being essentially ffree of fog or fine inist. The portion of the fountain formed by Water flowing through the stern is normally essentially free of fog or mist.

The above-mentioned and other features of the invention are more fully set forth in the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention, the description being presented with reference to the accompany drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional elevation view of a fountainhead;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-section view taken along line 2-2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional elevation view of another fountainhead according to the invention;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary elevation view of another fountain according to the invention;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line 5 5 of FIG. 4; and l FIG. 6 is a transverse cross-section view of another fountain according to the invention.

An ornamental fountain head 10, shown in FIG. 1, includes a body 11 having an axial bore 12. The bore has a lower relatively greately enlarged diameter portion 13 surrounded by internal threads 14 formed in the body. The bore also has a central relatively small diameter portion 15 and an upper portion 16 of intermediate diameter. An annular bearing sleeve member 17 is received in 4bore portion 16 and has an inner diameter substantially corresponding to the diameter of the bore at portion 15. The bearing member preferably is made of a reinforced phenolic resin material. The opening defined by the inner diameter of sleeve 17 is the discharge opening of the fountain body.

'In use of the fountain, the body is engaged via threads 14 with corresponding external threads defined at the upper end of a vertical, or substantially vertical, water supply riser pipe 18, the riser pipe being a component of a source of pressurized water for the fountainhead.

An elongate, cylindrical, hollow motor tube 19 is engaged with body 11 at bore portion 15 such that the inner wall of the motor tube is colinear with bore portion 15 and the inner diameter of bearing member 17. The motor tube can be considered to be a part of the body of the fountain and has an outer diameter which is substantially smaller than the inner diameter of riser pipe 18. The body is constructed relative to the motor tube so that when the body is secured to the riser pipe, the lower portion of the motor tube is coaxially aligned with the supply pipe in spaced relation to the inner walls of the pipe.

A second bearing member 20, preferably made of the same material as bearing member 17 and having an axial bore 21, is received in the lower end of the motor tube. Bore 21 is smaller in diameter than the inner diameter of bearing member 17. Bearing member is arranged relative to the motor tube so that the bearing member cannot be driven axially upwardly of the motor tube during operation of the fountain head.

An elongate, cylindrical, hollow, open-ended stem 22, having an outer diameter substantially smaller than the inner diameter of the motor tube and slightly smaller than the diameter of bore 21, extends through bearing member 20, the motor tube, and the body to an upper end 23 located above the body. A collar 24 is secured to the lower end of the stem below bearing member 20 to keep the stem from being driven upwardly out of the motor tube and the body during operation of the fountain head.

Four motor water inlet openings 25 are formed through the side walls of the motor tube into a chamber 26 formed within the motor tube. The inlet openings are provided in the form of slots elongated along the tube and angled in a common direction relative to the axis 27 of the motor tube in planes normal to the axis of the motor tube, as shown in FIG. 2. The total open area provided by inlet openings 25 is less than the area within the motor tube around stern 22. Because the inlet openings are angled relative to the axis of the tube, water ilowing through the openings from chamber 28 (located between the exterior of the motor tube and the inner walls of riser pipe 18) to chamber 26 spirals around and upwardly along the stem to emerge from the body at the open upper end of bore 12.

The stem is loosely journalled to the motor tube at the lower end of the motor tube. Therefore, it is seen that the stem is both rotatable and pivotable in the lower bearing member. As water flows through chamber 26, it spirals around the stem and, because of the viscous drag of the water on the stem, causes the stem to rotate around its aXis 29. The stem also gyrates about a point on the stem axis adjacent bearing member 20 as it rotates. It is this rotary and gyratory action of the stem which produces the beautiful and unusual fountain discharge characteristic that is a feature of the present type of fountain.

A water directing distributor head 30 is secured to the stem above the body, but below the upper end of the stem. The distributor head receives and directs upwardly and outwardly of the stern the water which emerges from bore 12. Additional water tlows axially through the stem. As a result, a two-tiered water discharge pattern is produced by fountainhead 10. The upper tier of the fountain pattern is produced by the water emanating from the stem and is in the form of a relatively small diameter, high height inverted cone. The lower tier of the pattern is in the form of a shallow, relatively large diameter inverted cone. Both tiers of the fountain pattern are defined by discrete water droplets.

The fountain pattern produced by fountain head 10 is most beautiful when the central or upper tier of the pattern is considerably higher than the top of the lower tier of the pattern and when the droplets falling from the upper y tier merge with the droplets falling from the lower tier to a fountain pool and the like in which the fountainhead is located. Previously, however, these desirable characteristics have been difficult to obtain in the discharge pattern of a fountain in accord with the foregoing description without the presence of fog or mist in the lower tier of the fountain pattern. Merely reducing the diameter of supply pipe 18 relative to motor tube 19, thereby reducing the volume of water introduced into the motor tube relative to the amount passing through the stem, produces undesired mist or fog in the fountain discharge pattern. Reducing the static head of water supplied to the fountain head causes an undesired reduction in the height of the central or upper tier of the fountain discharge pattern.

It has been found that reducing the dynamic head of water emerging from the body around the stem relative to the dynamic head of water passing through the stem, while maintaining the geometric relationships described, produces a fountain pattern having the above-mentioned desired aesthetic properties without the generation of undesired mist or fog. Fountainhead 10, therefore, in cludes baille means cooperating between the motor tube and the riser pipe for reducing the dynamic head of water flowing past the baille means. The baille means of head 10 are dened by a llange 31 which extends radially outwardly of bearing member 20 circumferentially of the bearing member toward but not to the inner diameter of riser pipe 18. This construction results in the provision of an annular orifice opening 32 of selected dimension around the flange, the orice opening providing the sole opening for water flow into chamber 28. As a result of this construction, the water which ilows through motor tube inlet openings 25 has a dynamic head which is considerably lower than the dynamic head of such water absent the flange. The dynamic head of water llowing within the motor tube is sufficient to rotate and gyrate the stem in the motor tube. The water which ilows from bore 12 around the stem flows smoothly to and through the distributor head and forms the lower tier of the fountain discharge pattern free of fog or mist.

FIG. 3 shows another fountain head 35 which is similar to head 10 except that bearing member 20 of head 10 is replaced by a bearing member 36, having an axial bore 37, which has no radially outwardly extending circumferential baille flange 31. Instead, the baille means of head 35 are provided by an annular baille ring 38 secured to the riser pipe adjacent the lower end of motor tube 19. The baille ring has a central bore 39 sized relative to the outer diameter of the motor tube and bearing member 36 to provide an annular orifice opening 40 of selected radial dimension circumferentially of the motor tube below apertures 25 at the inlet to chamber 28. The principle and effect of operation of the structure shown in FIG. 3 is the same as that of the structure shown in FIGS. l and 2.

FIGS. 4 and 5 depict another fountainhead 45 according to this invention. A lower bearing member 46, having an axial bore 47 for stem 22, has a lower radial ilange 48 about its circumference. The flange extends into close proximity with the inner walls of riser pipe 18 and prefcrably makes a sliding fit with the interior surfaces of the riser pipe. The llange has two diametrically opposed arcuate water flow slot openings 49 (see FIG. S) formed through it midway between the motor tube and the riser pipe. An annular adjustment plate 50 is engaged with the upper surface of flange 48 between the motor tube and the riser pipe. A pair of diametrically opposed arcuate water tlow slots 51 are formed through the adjustment plate, and preferably are the same size and shape as slots 49. Also, a pair of narrow arcuate guide slots 52 are formed through the adjustment plate at diametrically opposed locations between slots 51; preferably slots 52 are longer than slots 51 by an amount equal to the diameter of the Shanks of a pair of screws 53 which are provided to adjustably secure the adjustment plate to the bearing member flange. One of screws 53 is passed through each slot 52 and through the flange to a nut 54 at the underside of the flange. The screws are located in the flange at locations such that adjustment plate 50 can be angularly indexed relative to a flange between a position in which slots 49 and 51 are aligned and a position in which the adjustment plate covers slots 49.

Accordingly, it is seen that the structure of fountainhead 45 provides adjustable orifices for tlow of water into chamber 28 from the riser pipe. The adjustabilty of the baille means of head 45 permits a line control over the amount by which the dynamic head of water llowing through motor tube apertures 25 is reduced below the dynamic head of water llowing through stem 22.

As illustrated in FIG. 6, it is preferred, at least in a low capacity fountainhead 55 according to the invention, that four apertures 25 be provided through the motor tube from chamber 28 to chamber 26; these apertures are located at intervals around the circumference of the motor tube. Head 55 includes a lower bearing member 56 (similar to bearing member 20) having an axial bore 57 for stem 22 and a radially extending circumferential ilange 58. The ilange intermediate apertures 25 extends into close proximity to the inner surfaces of riser pipe 18. Opposite apertures 25, however, the ilange is relieved along straight edges so that, as shown in FIG. 6 wherein the planform configuration of the ilange is shown, the ilange has a generally square shape with rounded corners. It has been found that the performance of the fountainhead suifers when the corners of the ilange are aligned with the outer openings of apertures 25.

Each of the fountainheads described above includes baille means cooperating between the body and a riser pipe to which the body is mounted at a location upstream of the motor tube inlet openings for reducing the dynamic head of water flowing through such openings relative to the dynamic head of water ilowing through the hollow rotatable stem of the fountainhead. The baille means result in the lower tier of the fountain discharge pattern assuming the desired proportions relative to the upper tier of the pattern. Also, the presence of the baille means substantially reduces, and in many cases eliminates tine mist or fog from the lower tier of the discharge pattern. Consequently, the efficiency of the fountainhead is improved.

The term dynamic head as used herein is synonymous with the velocity head aspect of the total head available in a quantity of iluid as expressed in the Bernoulli general fluid energy equation.

What is claimed is:

1. A multiple-tier fountain comprising a body defining an elongate chamber having an open upper discharge end and a lower end, a hollow open-ended elongate stem having an outer diameter less than the inner diameter of the chamber disposed in the chamber and extended through the chamber ends, means mounting the stem to the body for rotation of the stem about its axis and for gyration relative to the body, the chamber having water inlet openings thereinto through the chamber side walls arranged so that the water introduced into the chamber spirals along and around the stem to the chamber discharge end, and means connected to the body externally of the chamber adjacent the chamber discharge end for coupling the body to a water supply pipe so that the body between said coupling means and the lower end of the body is disposed in substantially coaxial alignment with and within the pipe in spaced relation to the pipe to define an annular space between the body and the pipe from which the inlet openings communicate to the chamber, and characterized by water ilow control baille means lo cated outwardly of the body toward the annular space and opposite the chamber water inlet openings from the chamber discharge end for reducing the dynamic head of water flowing therepast into the annular space from a supply pipe to which the body may be connected relative to the dynamic head of water entering the stem from the supply pipe.

2. A fountain according to claim 1 wherein the control baille means comprises a baille ilange extended laterally from the body adjacent the chamber lower end circumferentially of the body.

3. A fountain according to claim 2 including a water supply pipe to which the body is connected by said coupling means, the baille ilange extending toward but not to the interior surfaces of the supply pipe and defining an annular oriilce between its periphery and the supply pipe.

4. A fountain according to claim 2 including a water supply pipe to which the body is connected by said coupling means, the baille ilange extending from the body into close proximity to the supply pipe.

5. A fountain according to claim 4 wherein the periphery of the baille ilange is relieved toward the body adjacent each chamber -water inlet opening.

6. A fountain according to claim 4 wherein the baille ilange extends to substantial registry with the inner surfaces of the supply pipe circumferentially of the pipe and defines water ilow opening means therethrough between the body and the supply pipe.

7. A fountain according to claim 6 including means mounted to the baille ilange for movement into and out of closure relation to said water ilow opening means for adjusting the eifective water ilow area of said opening means.

8. A fountain according to claim 2 including a water supply pipe to which the body is connected by said coupling means, and an annular member secured to the riser pipe interiorly thereof circumjacent the lower end of the chamber in spaced relation to the body.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,639,191 5/1953 Hruby 239-17 3,081,036 3/1963 Hruby 239-17 EVERETT W. KIRBY, Primary Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 239-237, 263 

